Someday, when Bryant Browning holds his grandchild on his knee and talks about being part of the
2010 Ohio State football team - going 12-1, beating Michigan a seventh straight time, tying for the
Big Ten title and winning the Sugar Bowl - he won't be able to offer proof from the record books.

Ohio State vacated its 2010 season yesterday as part of increasing sanctions for rules
violations under former coach Jim Tressel.

The process of vacating can be murky. People still remember the games, even though Ohio
State won't count them. Individual and team statistics from 2010 will still be counted, but wins,
losses and championships won't.

Even though the record book won't show Browning's Big Ten title, his ring will. The
Buckeyes already have received their Big Ten championship rings, and
athletic director Gene Smith said they won't be recalled.

"I guess it does show they care about our senior class, that we did earn those
rings," he said.

The rings stay, but the trophy will go. Smith said it will be taken off display
at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, but he wasn't certain it would be returned to the Big Ten. The
same goes for the Sugar Bowl trophy. It also remains unclear whether players will receive the gold
pants charms traditionally given for beating Michigan.

Last year's seniors had prepared for this, Browning said.

"It definitely is disappointing to see it happening but, at the same time, with
the things that were happening with the NCAA, we kind of knew something like this was coming," he
said. "We understand why the university had to do those things, working forward and looking to Ohio
State's future."

The rationale for vacating the wins is that Tressel used players all season that
he knew had likely violated NCAA rules. He learned in April 2010 that at least two players had sold
Ohio State memorabilia or traded it for discounted tattoos. He kept the information to himself and
signed a document before the season saying he knew of no violations.

When the NCAA investigated, Tressel still kept the information to himself.
Eventually, six players were found to have violated rules. All were allowed to a play in the Sugar
Bowl, a 31-26 win over Arkansas in January. Later that month, Ohio State learned of
Tressel's knowledge during a sweep of his email account.

Tressel resigned under pressure May 30.

Running back Daniel Herron, receiver DeVier Posey, left tackle Mike Adams and
defensive end Solomon Thomas, all seniors, will be suspended for the first five games of the season
under interim coach Luke Fickell. Jordan Whiting, a junior, is suspended for one game.

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor, facing a five-game suspension and under further
investigation by the NCAA, quit the team in June and has entered the NFL supplemental draft.

Despite it all, Homan said he doesn't hold a grudge.

"It would be easy to say I do, but I really don't," said linebacker Ross Ho-man,
a senior co-captain of the 2010 team. "Everyone makes mistakes in life, but football is a team
game, and you're all in it together, win or lose, and there's nothing I can do about it."

Browning agreed.

"It definitely won't bother me in any sort of way," he said. "Those guys made a
mistake, and they are paying for it. Terrelle has already lost his whole senior season and those
other guys are going to lose almost half their senior season.

"But those guys are always going to be my brothers. I won't look at them any
differently. We always fought hard together and, on the field, they always had my back and I had
theirs."

Now there won't be an official reunion of the 2010 Big Ten champions, because,
technically, it never happened.

"It's too bad the way it's all panned out, but in our eyes we know we played
those games," Homan said. "I will always believe we won every one of those games fairly, and I will
still see us as Big Ten champs and Sugar Bowl champs."